


Resurrection

by pasteldanhowells



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Angst, Cheating, Fluff, M/M, Parents, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10316990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pasteldanhowells/pseuds/pasteldanhowells
Summary: Dan Howell died 10 years ago, or that’s what Phil Lester thought. After 10 years and having to move on, Phil’s life quickly changes when his supposed-to-be dead ex-boyfriend shows up on his porch.





	1. Chapter 1

Dan Howell’s eyes widened in shock. He was breathing hard as he stared at the sky above him.

Dan nervously looked around him. He was lying in a field and he had no idea how he got there. Dan slowly sat up and looked around him again, completely confused on where he was. He didn’t remember anything.

Where was he? Why was he lying in the middle of a field?

Dan had no idea. He had no idea what was going on. There were many questions running through his mind right now. His body was filled with mixed emotions. Should he be happy? Should he be scared? Dan didn’t know.

All Dan really knew was that he was definitely not home.

The next thing Dan knew; he was sitting in a chair and staring at a stranger, who was sitting in front of him, asking him questions that Dan didn’t really have the answers to, so he wasn’t being that helpful at the moment.

“So, you have no idea how you got here… in China?” The man asked.

Dan shook his head and remained silent, too afraid to say anything.

“That’s interesting. Do you have any family I can contact? Any relatives?” The man asked.

Dan sat there for a few seconds… and then he remembered.

Phil Lester.

Phil was the last person Dan remembered seeing and Phil was the only person Dan wanted to see.

“P-Phil Lester.” Dan spoke, for the first time.

“Phil Lester? Who is he?” The man asked Dan, raising his eyebrows.

“He’s my b… he’s my best friend. I lived with him,” Dan told him. He took a deep breath.

“How old are you, Dan?” The man asked him, more calmly.

“20. I’m 20-years-old,” Dan told him with a straight face. Dan blinked a few times as he watched the man write more things on the piece of paper that was sitting on the table. “What are you writing?” He asked curiously.

“Thank you for this information, Dan. I’ll be getting in contact with Phil Lester immediately. Stay right here. Do not leave that chair,” The man warned, completely ignoring Dan’s question.

“I’m not going anywhere. I have nowhere to go anyways,” Dan assured him. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll be right back; this should only take a few minutes…” The man said as he stood up. He looked down at Dan one last time before he turned around and walked away without saying another word.

Dan bit his lip nervously as he looked around him. Dan was scared and confused. That he knew for a fact.

Dan couldn’t remember how he got here and why he wasn’t at home with Phil, where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be home with his boyfriend, the love of his life. He didn’t know the last time they had seen each other but Dan missed him.

Dan was basically hoping and praying that this man who had found him would be able to get him back home. It seemed like he wanted to help. Dan needed to be able to trust someone. Someone that’ll help him get home. Maybe once he got home… he’ll be able to talk to Phil and find out why the hell he ended up in China. China? Of all the places in the world. That confused Dan the most. He was supposed to be back in the UK, in London… where his home was.


	2. Chapter 2

“Emily! Stop running around the house! You’re going to be late for school!” Phil Lester yelled.

It was a Tuesday morning back in London, England. Phil Lester had been up since 6 o'clock in the morning. Now it was time to get his child off to school, as he did every morning. His husband had already left for work which left him alone with their little girl.

“Daddy! I don’t feel good!” Emily whined as she walked up to Phil.

Phil sighed as he looked down at his 7-year-old daughter. He bent down and placed his hand on her forehead. “You’re not sick, love. You don’t have a fever or anything. You have to go to school. Now go get your shoes on,” Phil warned.

Emily grumbled something that Phil didn’t hear. He smiled as he watched her walk away. He looked up as soon as he heard the doorbell ring, which was odd as it was quite early in the morning for someone to be at his door.

“Emily! Wait for me in the living room!” Phil called. He turned and then he finally walked to the front door. He waited a few seconds before he finally opened the door. He looked up and blinked a few times as he stared at the stranger. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Phil Lester?” The man asked immediately.

“Yes, that’s me. Is everything okay?” Phil asked calmly.

“We have someone who ended up in China, not knowing how they got there… and they said they knew you,” The man said.

“Oh. Thy ended up in China?” Phil asked. He raised his eyebrows. “Okay, well… who is this person?”

“Daniel Howell. Do you know him? He claims that you’re his best friend,” The man said.

Phil’s eyes went wide with shock as he stared at the man. “Th-That’s impossible…”

“Phil?” The man stepped aside, revealing a confused looking Dan.

“D-Dan?” Phil asked quietly as he stared at this man, who looked exactly like his best friend. “I’m sorry. There must be some mistake. My best friend died 10 years ago. There’s no possible way,” he said. He quickly shook his head.

“What are you talking about? Can we come in and talk?” The man asked.

“I’m kind of busy right now. I-I have to get my daughter to school. I… come in. I’ll figure something out,” Phil mumbled. He stepped aside and let the two men in. Phil watched carefully as ‘Dan’, walked into his house. Phil immediately pulled out his phone and then he called his neighbor and best friend, PJ Liguori.

“Hey Phil. What’s up?” PJ asked when he answered the phone.

“Sorry for calling you like this so early. Have you taken Tristen to school yet?” Phil asked.

“We were just getting in the car but we haven’t left yet. Why?” PJ asked.

“I’m in a situation right now. Would you be able to take Emily to school?” Phil asked.

“Sure. Just bring her on over and I’ll take her,” PJ said.

“You’re a life saver. Thank you so much Peej. I swear owe you one,” Phil said. He sighed in relief, thankful to have his best friend as a neighbor. He quickly hung up on PJ before PJ could say anything else to him, and then he walked over to the man who had brought Dan to his door. “I know this is important right now but… can you give me a second? I need to take my daughter next door so she can get to school. It should only take a few minutes, less than a few minutes.”

“Take your time,” The man said, nodding.

Phil smiled and then he went to the living room and smiled when he saw Emily sitting on the couch with her shoes on and back pack in her hand. “Change of plans Em, Uncle PJ is going to take you to school to school today,” he told her.

“Daddy, I thought you were going to take me?” Emily asked, pouting.

“I’m dealing with something right now. I’m really sorry. There’s always tomorrow and the next day after that,” Phil said.

“Okay dad,” Emily said. She stood up and then she walked over to Phil.

Dan bit his lip nervously as he looked around the house. This was his home but it didn’t look the same. Everything was changed and it wasn’t how he remembered it to be, and that made him a little sad to think about. Dan never did do well with change.

Dan looked up when he heard footsteps and blinked a few times when he saw Phil walk down the hallway, with a little girl walking beside him, holding his hand. Dan went to say something but quickly shut his mouth before he did.

“Come on Em,” Phil whispered as he passed Dan. Phil walked Emily over to the door. He bent down and he kissed Emily’s forehead and smiled as he looked at her. “Remember what we talked about, okay? Tell the teacher if those boys are mean to you again.”

“I promise daddy,” Emily said as she nodded.

“Okay…” Phil said as he opened the door. He watched as Emily walked off the porch. “Have a good day at school!” Phil called as he watched Emily run next to door to where PJ’s car was. Phil waved to PJ when he saw him. He waited until Emily was in the car with PJ until he shut the door. He turned around and immediately looked over at Dan. “What the hell is going on?”

“Can we talk about this in your living room or something?” The other man, beside Dan asked.

“Oh yes, sorry… uh, of course we can…” Phil said calmly, nodding. He led the way into the living. Phil sat on the chair while Dan and the man, whose name was Andrew Bellamy, sat on the couch. “I’m just confused…”

“You said that this man, Dan Howell, died 10 years ago?” Andrew asked.

“Yes. I haven’t seen him for 10 years, at least. I’m a little shocked to see him, sitting in front of me. I mean… I’m very happy to see you and everything, Dan but… how? How is this happening?” Phil asked as he stared at Dan.

“But, I’m not dead. I’m right here, Phil… I’m perfectly live and well,” Dan said. He took a deep breath as he stared right back at Phil. “I don’t understand… who the hell was that little girl? Is she really your daughter?” He asked.

“Wow. You’re not as shy as you were when I found you,” Andrew mumbled.

“Dan, the last time I saw you… was the night I found you dead in our bathtub. You killed yourself because you couldn’t take all the fame anymore. It was getting too much for you and you couldn’t handle all of those negative comments about you. Everything seemed fine but I had no idea how depressed you were. You were so good at hiding it, too good…” Phil said. He took a deep breath.

“Wait, who are you supposed to be? What does he mean by fame?” Andrew asked Dan.

“I’m a Youtuber. I make videos on Youtube. I hate to say it but we’re internet famous kind of,” Dan said.

“Not anymore. Everybody’s pretty much forgotten about us after you died. I stopped making Youtube videos a couple months after you died, after I had to make a video explaining that you died. It was really hard for me Dan. I still don’t understand how you’re here. You’re supposed to be dead. It’s been 10 years. I want to hug you but I want to slap you at the same time for killing yourself, leaving me behind to deal with all of that. I don’t know what I’m supposed to think or say right now,” Phil whispered as his eyes began to water up.

“Why don’t I remember killing myself? I don’t remember any of this happening?” Dan asked.

“So, you’re supposed to be dead?” Andrew asked as he looked at Dan.

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Dan whispered. He shook his head and then he looked up at Phil again. “If it’s been 10 years… does that mean you’ve moved on from me?” He asked nervously, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

“Dan, I’m married now. I have a husband and a daughter… the little girl you saw, her name is Emily,” Phil whispered.

“I can’t believe this,” Dan whispered. He hid his face in his hands. “This is too much!” He cried.

“I spent months locked up in this house Dan. I missed you and loved you so much but… Chris and PJ were right. I couldn’t keep living like that. I met Eric a couple weeks later and we clicked…” Phil began to explain.

“A couple weeks?!” Dan yelled as he looked up at Phil. “You moved on a couple weeks after I supposedly died?!”

“Dan, I’m sorry! It killed me but I had to do what was right for me. I fell in love with Eric and we got married two years after the whole incident. We decided we wanted to raise a family and we adopted Emily two years after we got married, when she was 1-years-old,” Phil explained. He took a deep breath.

“This isn’t supposed to happen. This can’t be happening,” Dan mumbled as tears began to pour out of his eyes.

“Dan…” Phil began to say as he stood up from the couch.

Dan shook his head. He stood up from the couch and started to run out of the living room.

“Hey, no!” Andrew yelled. He stood up and grabbed Dan before he could run anywhere.

“I don’t want to be here anymore!” Dan yelled at Andrew.

“You can’t run off like that, okay? You’ve returned from the dead. If the wrong person finds out… this could go from bad to worse. I need to find somewhere for you to stay to keep you safe,” Andrew warned as he stared at Dan.

“Dan, I-I know there’s a lot going on right now but you can stay here. We have a guest bedroom,” Phil said.

“I know there’s a guest bedroom. This was my house, remember?” Dan snapped.

Phil blinked a few times. “I’m sorry, okay? We’ll talk about this later,” he said.

“Will you please stay here with Phil? There’s some people I need to talk to,” Andrew said.

Dan looked over at Phil and sighed. “Fine…” He mumbled.

“Stay here. Don’t go anywhere out of this house until we find more about why you returned,” Andrew said.

“I told you… I’m not going anywhere. I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Dan said.

“Right. I’ll give you a call later,” Andrew said. He sighed.

“Hey, do you want my number? Just in case?” Phil asked.

“Yes,” Andrew said. After he exchanged numbers with Phil… he finally left, leaving Dan and Phil alone.


	3. Chapter 3

“He just needs to stay for a little bit. It’s not going to be that long, I promise” Phil said to his husband on the phone as he paced back and forth in the living room.

It’s been a couple hours now since Dan had returned. Phil finally called his husband and was talking to him about letting him stay in the guest bedroom. Phil would have told his husband that Dan was just a friend or something but unfortunately, Eric knew everything about Phil’s past.

“You expect me to let your ex stay in our house?” Eric asked angrily.

“Eric please… he’s needs somewhere to stay. There’s a lot going on,” Phil said.

“I still don’t understand how he just appeared from the dead!” Eric yelled.

“I’m just as confused as you are… but Dan needs my help,” Phil said quietly.

“Why do I have a feeling that you’re gonna abandone Emily and me?” Eric asked.

“I would never do that to you and Emily. Come on Eric, you know how much I love you both.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry… I just… he can stay. But only for a couple weeks,” Eric finally said.

“I can deal with that. Thank you so much. I love you,” Phil said.

“Yeah. I love you too,” Eric said before he hung up on Phil.

Phil sighed and also hung up on Eric. He stood there for a few seconds before he left the living room and walked up the stairs to where the guest bedroom was. Phil took a deep breath before he finally pushed the door open and walked in. He looked up and he wasn’t that surprised when he saw Dan sitting on the bed with a laptop in front of him.

“Already found the laptop then?” Phil asked as he crossed his arms against the chest and leaned against the door frame. He bit his lip nervously when Dan didn’t reply to him. He was worried about what Dan would find on the internet, especially since it’s been 10 years since his death.

“You made a video about my death?” Dan asked quietly and finally looked up at Phil.

“I couldn’t just not say anything? Millions of people knew who you were. Your channel was dead for literally months before I finally got the courage to make the video. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done… in my entire life,” Phil said.

Dan bit his lip as his eyes began to water up. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Phil asked, blinking a few times as he stared at Dan.

“For doing that to you. I-I shouldn’t have left you like that,” Dan said.

“Do you not remember any of this?” Phil asked as he finally walked into the room.

Dan shook his head. “I can’t remember anything. I’m trying but… I can’t,” he said.

“We should probably take you to the hospital later,” Phil said. He sighed.

“Don’t you have a family to take care of?” Dan asked quietly.

“Yes… but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you,” Phil assured him. He walked over to the bed and sat down. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay. You suffered from depression for months before you took your own life. I’m going to be there for you,” he said.

“According to Andrew… I’m not allowed to leave this house, at all…” Dan mumbled.

“People around this neighborhood know each other and they knew who you are and know what happened to you. People can’t know that you’re alive… not yet anyways,” Phil told him.

Dan sighed and slammed the laptop shut. “I think I’d much rather be dead again then have to go through all of this. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?” He asked.

“Dan,” Phil said with shock. He quickly shook his head. “I lost you once. I can’t lose you again.”

Dan frowned as he looked up at Phil. “You’re perfectly fine without me,” he mumbled.

“I may have moved on but that doesn’t mean I haven’t missed you. Do you know how hard it is for me to walk into my own bathroom? All I can p-picture is you lying there… dead,” Phil whispered as his eyes began to water up. “Please let me help you.”

Dan went to say something but he stopped when the doorbell rang.

“Now what?” Phil asked. He stood up from the bed and walked down the stairs. He sighed as he walked to the door. He finally opened it. He looked up and was surprised when he saw PJ standing there. “Peej? What are you doing here? Did Emily get to school okay?”

“Yeah. She’s fine. She tried to convince me to let her stay home,” PJ said.

Phil rolled his eyes. “Those damn boys have been giving her a hard time,” Phil said.

PJ nodded. “So,um… what was with you earlier? You sounded nervous on the phone,” he said as he walked into the house. He watched as Phil shut the door.

“Yeah… there’s a lot going on right now,” Phil said.

“Like?” PJ asked. He raised his eyebrows as he looked up at Phil.

“Okay. If I tell you this… you have to promise me to never tell anyone. Maybe Chris, but that’s it. I mean it. This is important and we need to keep this a secret for as long as possible until we know exactly what is going on,” Phil whispered. “Promise me.”

“I promise. You know you can trust me… and Chris,” PJ said.

Phil nodded and took a deep breath. “D-Dan Howell is sitting upstairs in our guest bedroom… right now,” he whispered. He looked up at PJ, who was now staring at him like he was crazy.

“I thought you’ve gotten over all of that?” PJ asked, blinking a few times.

“PJ, I’m being fucking serious. Alright? He showed up on my porch this morning with some guy who found him in China. Come with me,” Phil hissed. He grabbed PJ’s wrist and led him up the stairs to the guest bedroom. Phil looked over at PJ once they got there. “Prepare yourself.”

“I swear to God… if you’re lying to me,” PJ whispered.

Phil rolled his eyes. “I would not lie to you about something like this,” he said. He pulled PJ into the bedroom and pointed to Dan, who was still sitting on the bed.

PJ looked up and gasped as soon as he saw Dan, who he hadn’t seen in 10 years.

Dan blinked a few times as he looked over and was surprised when he saw PJ standing there.

“What the fuck is going on here?!” PJ asked as he stared at Dan.

“Nice to see you too,” Dan mumbled. He let out a sigh.

“Is this some prank or something?” PJ asked as he looked over at Phil.

“I really don’t think this is a prank,” Phil told him.

Dan stood up from the bed and looked over at PJ. “I’m not dead, okay? I don’t know how I got here or why I’m alive after killing myself but… I’m here,” he said.

“God, I have no idea what the hell is going on but… it’s so good to hear your voice again,” PJ said. He walked over to Dan and gave him a tight hug.

Dan closed his eyes as he hugged PJ back. “How’s Chris?” He asked when they pulled away.

“Chris is great. Yeah, everything’s great. We’re married now,” PJ told him.

“Sorry I missed the wedding,” Dan said, trying to make a joke.

PJ chuckled. “That’s okay. It was a small wedding, nothing big…” He said.

“Are you kidding? It was not small, it was absolutely massive!” Phil exclaimed.

PJ rolled his eyes. “Okay, so it was kind of massive. But, we were excited, okay?” He pouted. He looked back over at Dan. “Oh, and we have a son now too!” He said with a smile.

“I guess I missed a lot then, haven’t I?” Dan asked, frowning.

PJ bit his lip nervously as he looked over at Phil, suddenly feeling very bad for Dan.

“I-It’s not your fault, Dan…” Phil began to say.

Dan immediately looked up at Phil. “Not my fault? I’m the one who fucking killed myself!” He yelled angrily. He sighed in frustration and went to walk out of the bedroom, but Phil quickly reached over grabbed him before he could leave the house. “Phil!”

“You can’t leave the house. You heard what Andrew said,” Phil warned.

“I don’t care what Andrew said, alright? I really don’t want to stay here. What the hell am I supposed to do when your husband and your daughter comes home? I mean… just act like everything’s okay? I can’t… I can’t do that,” Dan whispered.

“You could stay at mine and Chris’s? We also have a guest bedroom,” PJ suggested.

“No. You and Chris have your own life to worry about,” Dan quickly said.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t help you,” PJ told him.

“That’s what I tried telling him,” Phil said. He let out a sigh.

“I-I mean… then I guess I could. But, I just don’t want to be a bother… to anyone,” Dan said.

“Dan, you must have been through so much. I only want to help,” PJ said.

“Okay. How about this…how about Dan stays over at yours for tonight and we’ll take him to the hospital in the morning after we get the kids to school?” Phil suggested. “Dan?” He asked as he looked over at him. “Would you be okay with that?” He bit his lip nervously.

“I guess but what am I supposed to do about clothes? I can’t keep wearing this,” Dan said.

“I um… I still have some of your old clothes. You haven’t aged so I’m so sure you’ll still fit them,”

“Y-You kept my clothes?” Dan asked quietly. He looked up at Phil.

“Only your favorite shirts,” Phil mumbled. He shrugged his shoulders.

Dan took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay… we’ll do that,” he said.

Phil grabbed some of Dan’s shirts and then Dan took a quick shower.

“Chris is home. I’m sure he’ll be surprised to see you,” PJ said as he and Dan walked up to the porch. PJ pushed the door open and walked in first. “Chris?” PJ called.

“Yeah?” Chris called from somewhere in the house.

Dan bit his lip nervously as he looked around the house.

“Can you come here?” PJ asked. He quickly glanced over at Dan. “Relax.” He said.

Chris walked down the stairs. He looked up and froze as soon as he saw Dan standing next to PJ.

“Surprise,” PJ said when he saw the look on his face.

“Hi.” Dan whispered as he looked up at Chris.


	4. Chapter 4

“I just don’t understand how this is possible,” Chris whispered. He was sitting on the couch with PJ while Dan was standing by the doorway, too scared to say anything. Chris didn’t exactly have the best response to his return. Dan didn’t know if Chris was happy or not… that’s why he was scared.

“I’m just as confused as you are Chris but… it’s him,” PJ said.

“How do we know this isn’t some stalker trying to get close to us or… Phil. We have those fans still you know, those crazy stalker fans who will do anything to meet us, even if it means messing with our personal lives,” Chris said. He glanced up at Dan before he looked back at PJ.

“Wow… I didn’t think of that. Wait, no… this is him. Okay? PJ said.

”How? How do you know that for sure?“ Chris hissed.

"We’re taking him to the hospital tomorrow and we’ll find out for sure what is going on. I know this is hard to take in but we have to help him, okay? He is… or was our friend. Our best friend,” PJ said. He bit his lip as he stared at Chris.

Chris sighed and leaned back against the house, too shocked to say anything.

PJ looked over and frowned when he saw the look on his face. He stood up from the couch and walked over to him. “Come on. I’ll take you up to the guest bedroom. I’m sure you’ll need to rest up and relax after what you’ve been through,” he said.

Dan slowly nodded and then he followed PJ up the stairs.

“It’s not much but… it’s better than nothing,” PJ said as they walked into the guest bedroom.

Dan bit his lip as he looked around the room. It wasn’t much. It was quite small but Dan wasn’t going to complain. It was better than staying at Phil’s with his husband and daughter. “Chris isn’t happy… is he?” Dan asked quietly as he looked over at PJ.

PJ frowned as he looked over at Dan. “Dan, you realize this is hard for us to take in, right? It’s been 10 years since any of us has seen you. It’s especially hard for Phil. The last time he saw you… he found you dead. I was there with him the night you committed suicide and it was very hard. He cried for weeks about it. We had to convince him to get out of the house,” he said.

“Why did you do that?” Dan asked as his eyes began to water up.

“What are you talking about?” PJ asked, blinking a few times.

Dan shook his head. “It’s just hard… knowing that Phil moved on from me. He said it only took him a couple weeks. It hurts,” he whispered. He dropped his bag that Phil packed for him down on the ground. “But… I guess I’m happy if he’s happy.” He sighed.

PJ walked over to Dan. “I know you’re hurting right now but please… don’t do anything stupid,” he said. He took a deep breath when Dan looked up at him.

“Like what? Like killing myself?” Dan asked coldly. He walked over to the bed and sat down.

“I mean don’t ruin Phil’s marriage. They have a daughter and they need to stay together. I know it hurts but… we’ll help you in any way that we can,” PJ said.

“I don’t think Chris wants anything to do with me,” Dan said.

PJ rolled his eyes. “Chris is just shocked. It’ll take some time,” he said.

“I don’t mean to sound rude but… I don’t want your help nor do I need your help, okay? I’ve only been here for a couple of hours and people are already treating me like I’m a lost puppy… I’m not lost or broken or anything,” Dan snapped.

PJ sighed and shook his head, a little hurt by what Dan was saying. “You know, what? Fine. Stay here… you heard Phil. You’re not allowed to go anywhere. I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” he said. He turned around and walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door shut as he left. He walked down the stairs and then he went back to the living room, where Chris was still sitting on the couch. “He definitely hasn’t changed.”

Chris blinked a few times as he looked up at PJ. “What?” He asked.

“Dan. He hasn’t changed,” PJ said. He walked over to the couch and sat down.

“What did he say?” Chris asked as he looked over at PJ.

“He’s upset that Phil moved on from him after he died,” PJ said.

“Do you really think that’s Dan? Our Dan? Dan Howell?” Chris asked as he pushed himself up.

PJ sighed as he looked over at Chris. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m sure we’ll have answers after we take him to the hospital. I just hope we can find a doctor we can trust. We can’t let this out to the public… not until we find out what the hell’s happening,” he said.

“Seriously… how the fuck does a guy return from the dead after 10 years?” Chris asked.

“I can’t even imagine how Phil must be feeling right now,” PJ mumbled.

“Do you think he’s told Eric about this yet?” Chris asked.

“Eric knows who Dan is so it’s not like Phil can hide it from him,” PJ said.

“Yeah… that’s true I guess. He’s probably already told him about it,” Chris said. He let out a sigh. He groaned and then he turned and cuddled into PJ. “How does something go from perfectly fine to complicated like this?” Chris asked, shaking his head.

PJ chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Chris’s waist and pulled him into a hug, kissing his forehead. “We’ll be just fine, Christopher. I’m sure it’ll be hard for a little while, obviously… but we’ll be fine in the long… for now. Hopefully.” He said.

It’s been a couple more hours since Dan has arrived at Chris and PJ’s house. Dan hasn’t really been out of the room since then. He was too scared to leave the room. He knew PJ was upset from how he treated him earlier but… Dan was scared. He didn’t want to admit it… but he was.

Tristan would be coming home in an hour so PJ was just going around the house and cleaning up, which is what he usually did when he was home alone. It relaxed him and it helped him forget about all the problems in his life, even if it was just for a little while.

PJ was now in the kitchen and was finishing up with the dishes. He looked over when he heard footsteps and blinked a few times when he saw Dan standing in the doorway. “Dan?” He asked as he grabbed the washcloth and dried his hands. “Can I help you with something?”

“I want to talk to my mum,” Dan said as he stared at PJ.

“Dan, you really shouldn’t-” PJ began to say.

“I want to talk to her, PJ. Please,” Dan begged. He took a deep breath.

PJ looked down at his hands for a quick second before he looked back up at Dan. “You can’t.”

“Wh-What do you mean I can’t? She’s my mother, isn’t she?” Dan asked quietly. “Why can’t I? I don’t care what Andrew or Phil or anyone else says. She’s my mum and I want to talk to her. She deserves to know her son is alive, doesn’t she?”

“You can’t talk to her b-because she… she’s dead,” PJ whispered.

Dan’s eyes began to water up. “What?” He asked with shock.

“Sh-She died a couple years ago. It was just kind of sudden and happened randomly… she was really sick and she was in the hospital for a long time,” PJ explained. “I’m really sorry Dan. I know this must be hard for you to hear.”

“Well, wh-what about my dad? Is he dead too?” Dan asked as a few tears fell out of his eyes.

“I’m really sorry. I… your dad got drunk after your mum died and he got into a car accident and h-he didn’t make it. Dan, I’m really am sorry. You don’t deserve this- Dan?” PJ asked nervously as he watched Dan slide down onto the floor, pulling his legs up to his chin. PJ slowly walked over to him. He bent down so that he could see Dan more clearer. PJ hated to see Dan like this and he couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

“Why did this have to happen to me?” Dan asked, his voice shaky.

PJ frowned. “What do you mean?” He asked. He sat down next to Dan.

“I-I didn’t think it would be this hard. I thought… I would come back home and be with Phil again and we would go back to how we used to be. I miss making youtube videos and I miss…”

“Dan, making youtube videos is what led you to committing,” PJ said, cutting Dan off.

“No, it was the fame. Making youtube videos was my passion,” Dan quickly corrected him.

“Oh. Why didn’t you just talk to somebody?” PJ asked curiously.

Dan shrugged his shoulders. “I thought things would be easier if I just… killed myself,” he mumbled. He let out a sigh. “Phil seems much happier without me anyways. He’s married and he has a daughter. I even said I didn’t want to be here earlier.”

“That’s not true. Phil has missed you so much and I know he thinks about you everyday. I mean… he kept your bloody clothes Dan, because he knew they were your favorite. He still has pictures of you up even though Eric hates seeing those pictures. Phil may have moved on… but he still loves you and misses you. You just… you need to talk to him.” PJ said.

“H-How do I do that?” Dan asked as he looked over at PJ, letting a few more tears pour out of his eyes. He didn’t even care that he was crying in front of PJ. He wanted to let it all out.

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out. You and Phil have been through a lot together. You’re still his best friend and nothing will replace that. Fix things now while you can.”

“I’m sorry… for what I said earlier. I-I do need help. I’m just… scared.” Dan whispered.

“I would be scared if I were in your position.” PJ whispered back.

“Can’t we just… find somewhere else for me to stay? I understand you and Phil want to help me but… I don’t want to get in the way of your lives. I just… need a small place to stay where no one will find me and I can hide there until we f-figure out what’s going on.” Dan said.

PJ took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Me and Chris… we own a little beach house that isn’t too far from here. No one ever goes there. If you want… you can stay there. But, you have to stay here for a couple days. We still need to take you to the hospital and just try to figure out what the hell’s going on. No one knows how or why you’re back from the dead.” He said.

“Are you happy?” Dan asked as he stared at PJ. “That I’m back?”

“What? Of course I’m happy, and so is Chris. We’re just a little shocked,” PJ said.

“Do you think Phil’s happy? I mean it… do you think he’s happy?” Dan asked nervously.

“Phil is happy. He’s very happy that you’re back. Trust me,” PJ said.

Dan took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “As long as he’s happy.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Dan, you better be up and ready by the time I get back! We’re leaving as soon as I get back!” PJ called from the bottom of the stairs. He looked over and smiled as he watched Tristan walk down the hallway, all dressed and ready for school today.

“Okay!” PJ sighed in relief when he heard Dan respond to him. Things have definitely been easier ever since Dan and PJ had their little conversation with each other last night. Dan had been staying up in the guest bedroom and was keeping out of the way of Chris and PJ and Tristan, even though PJ told him that he didn’t have to lock himself up in that room. Dan didn’t listen to him though. He just didn’t want to be a bother to anyone.

“Daddy, who is that man?” Tristan asked as he walked up to PJ, holding his back pack.

“That’s one of mine and pops friends from a long time ago,” PJ said.

“Why is he staying here?” Tristan asked curiously.

PJ chuckled. “You ask a lot of questions. You ready for school?” He asked.

Tristan nodded. “Are we taking Emily to school again?” He asked.

“I think so. Phil is going through a lot right now so he doesn’t really have time to take her to school. Is it okay if we do?” PJ asked as he looked down at Tristan.

“Yeah. I like Emily,” Tristan said. He blushed.

“Good, and you better make sure those boys at school aren’t mean to her, alright?” PJ said.

“I will daddy!” Tristan said. He giggled and then he ran over to the door.

“Alright, off we go!” PJ said. He turned and then he walked over to the door and opened it, smiling as he watched Tristan run off the porch. “Careful, love!” PJ looked over and smiled when he saw Emily walking off the porch from next door. “Good morning Emily.”

“Hi Uncle PJ!” Emily said as she ran over to them.

PJ looked up and bit his lip nervously when he saw Phil standing on his porch.

“Let’s get to school, yeah?” PJ suggested as they walked over to the car. “Em, how’s your daddy doing? Is he alright? Like, he’s not sad or anything?” PJ asked as he walked over to her.

“Well… he and Pa did get in an argument last night but I think they’re okay now,” Emily said.

PJ nodded. “That’s good. In you go,” he said as he opened the door.

“Hi Emily!” Tristan exclaimed once Emily climbed into the car.

Emily giggled as she looked up at Tristan. “Hi.” She said.

PJ laughed as he watched him. “Alright love birds.” He said. He shut the door.

Once PJ had dropped the kids off at school, he went straight back to his house.

PJ sighed as he pulled into the driveway of his and Chris’s home. He looked up and was surprised when he saw Phil already there, waiting for him on the porch. “Phil?” PJ asked. He turned off the car and then he got out. “What are you doing?” PJ asked.

“I don’t know. I just didn’t feel like waiting at mine,” Phil said.

“Why didn’t you just go inside? I’m sure Dan would have let you in,” PJ said.

Phil sighed as he stood up. “I didn’t want things to be awkward between us,” he said.

“Emily said you and Eric got in an argument last night?” PJ asked.

“She has a big mouth, doesn’t she?” Phil asked. He sighed and shook his head. “It was just a little disagreement about what to do about Dan but he knows that I still care about Dan. Dan will always be my best friend and Dan needs me now more than ever,” he said.

“So, you heard we’re going to let Dan stay at the beach house?” PJ said.

“Yeah. It’s only what… an hour away from here?” Phil asked.

“It’s really not a long drive. Dan will be fine there,” PJ said.

“Can’t you stay there with him? For a couple of days?” Phil begged.

“Phil, that would defeat the purpose of him actually going there. We’re still going to help him but he just doesn’t want to get in the way of our lives,” PJ said.

“I just don’t want anything bad to happen to him,” Phil mumbled.

“He’s going to be fine as long as no one finds out that he’s alive again. Now come on, we gotta get him to the hospital and see if there’s anything we can do about finding out if this really is the Dan we knew and loved before. It’ll be messed up if it wasn’t him,” PJ said. He grabbed Phil and they walked up on the porch. PJ led the way inside the house. “Dan!” He called.

Phil and PJ waited a few seconds before Dan appeared at the top of the stairs. Dan looked down and froze as soon as he saw Phil, a little too scared to be around him… especially after everything that went down last night. Dan stared at him for a few seconds before he finally started walking down the stairs. “A-Are we leaving?” Dan asked, breaking the silence.

“Yeah. Are you ready to go?” PJ asked as he looked over at Dan.

“I think so…” Dan said. He took a deep breath.

“Peej, are you sure you found a doctor that we can trust with this?” Phil asked.

“Of course. I called my doctor last night and he’s very trustworthy,” PJ said.

Phil looked over at Dan and bit his lip as he stared at him. “Are you okay with this, Dan?”

“It’s not like I have a choice, do I?” Dan asked.

“I guess not. Let’s just go and get this over with,” Phil said.

“Also, we’ve got to go shopping for you later Dan… you can’t exactly keep wearing the same outfit forever, can you? And you’ll beed essentials for when you go to the beach house,” PJ said as he reached over and opened the door. They walked outside.

“But, Phil give me t-shirts? I don’t need anything,” Dan said.

“I know but you still need other clothes. You’ve only got one pair of jeans,” PJ said.

“Yeah, he’s got a point Dan. We’ll go out shopping for you later,” Phil agreed.

“Fine, but I don’t want you to spend so much money on me,” Dan warned.

“Oh please. I’ve got loads of money! All the money I could possibly need. Making all those films years ago really helped me making some money,” PJ said as they walked over to the car.

“It’s true. How do you think they had that massive wedding?” Phil joked.

“Oh shut up. You’re just jealous because you and Eric didn’t get a big wedding!” PJ exclaimed.

Phil laughed. “No, we were happy with our little church,” He claimed.

“Okay.” PJ said. He laughed and rolled his eyes playfully.

Dan frowned as he stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. He felt left out because he had on idea what Phil and PJ were talking about, and he felt bad. He felt bad because he missed his best friends wedding, and he missed his ex-boyfriend’s wedding.

“Okay… let’s get going before someone sees us,” PJ said.

“Good idea.” Phil said. He opened the door for Dan and watched as Dan got into the car.

About an hour later; Dan was sitting in a room with PJ’s doctor, along with Phil and PJ.

“Are your parents around, Dan? I’m sure if we could get a DNA test… we’d be able to tell if you really are Daniel James Howell,” The doctor said as he looked up at Dan, who was sitting quietly on the bed. “We would need them to come in sooner rather than later.” The doctor was just as confused as Phil and PJ were with Dan returning from the dead. He had no idea how it happened but he was determined to find out how the hell this could have happened. It was a miracle that Dan was alive again, after being dead for ten years.

Phil and PJ immediately looked at each other and then looked at Dan.

“My parents are dead.” Dan said. He took a deep breath.

“You told him?” Phil whispered as he looked over at PJ.

“He had a right to know.” PJ whispered back to him.

The doctor sighed. “Okay then…” He said.

“Isn’t there anything we could do to figure this out?” PJ asked.

“Listen to me… I know this is the real Daniel James Howell,” Phil said.

“Phil, don’t do this…” Dan began to say. He didn’t want Phil to get upset about this, or stressed. He knew how Phil got whenever he was stressed out.

“I know Dan better than anyone! I don’t care what any of you say. I believe this is the Dan I knew ten years ago, and he hasn’t changed a bit since the last time I saw him,” Phil said.

“I’m a little bit jealous that it’s been 10 years and Dan hasn’t aged,” PJ said.

Dan blushed slightly. “I’m still 23-years-old,” He said.

“Exactly my point. Me and Phil are older now,” PJ said.

“Oh God. Don’t remind me! I feel old just being 38,” Phil whined.

Dan couldn’t help but smile. “You look young to me, if that makes you feel any better…”

“Thanks Dan.” Phil said, also smiling. “So, what do we do about this?”

“Well, I think Dan should stay over night at the hospital so we can try to figure out things. Has he got a place to stay? I agree. I don’t think it’s very safe for Dan to go out anywhere,” The doctor said as he looked over at Phil and PJ. “He needs to be save and secure.”

“Dan will be staying at mine and my husband’s beach house. He requested not to live at either of our houses. It’s an hour away but it’s still very close,” PJ said. “As long as no one finds out about Dan being alive… he should be safe there for now.”

“As long as you keep an eye on him, he should be fine,” The doctor said.

“I think you’re all forgetting that I’m a grown man and I do know how to take care of myself. I came back from the dead. I’m not sick or anything,” Dan said, getting slightly annoyed. It annoyed him that his friends were treating him like a little lost and broken puppy.

“We know that Dan, and I’m sorry we’re treating you this way but… a lot of people knew who you were and knew what happened to you. The wrong person could find out about this and everything could go downhill from there. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I lost you once, and I can’t lose you again, do you understand me?” Phil said.

Dan stared at Phil for a few seconds before he took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was later that evening when Dan was lying in his hospital bed, in the room that he was staying in. It had been a while since he had seen Phil or PJ, but he didn’t mind. He liked being alone sometimes, it gave him time to think and helped clear his mind.

“Hey Dan.” Dan looked over and sat up as soon as he saw Phil, who was with another man.

“Phil?” Dan said. “I thought you weren’t coming back until later.”

“Yeah, I mean… I know that’s what I said but I decided to change my mind… I want you to meet Eric, my husband,” Phil said as he looked over at Eric and smiled proudly. He grabbed Eric’s hand and then they both walked over to Dan’s bed.

“Oh.” Dan said. He nervously looked over at Eric; who Dan couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked; Eric was almost as tall as Phil but a little short, he had short brown hair and coffee brown eyes. Sure he was handsome, but not as handsome as Phil was.

“I figured if we were going to be seeing each other again… I should at least introduce you to the man I married. It would only seem right. I know you guys probably won’t be best friends forever… but it would make me happy if you at least got to know each other.” Phil said.

“I can’t say I’m exactly thrilled about having you around like this Dan, knowing yours and Phil’s history together but.. I’m willing to push that aside and be civil with you, I know how much you mean to Phil so… it’s the least I could do,” Eric said. He shrugged his shoulders.

“This is very awkward-” Dan whispered. He took a deep breath. “Well, since we’re both being honest… I can’t lie and say that I’m exactly thrilled that you’re married to my ex-boyfriend but… you seem to make Phil happy so, I guess I’ll try to be civil as well.” Dan said.

“Wow. This is going more well then I thought it would be,” Phil said, quite happily.

“So, what’s next for this little adventure?” Eric asked.

“Well… Dan has to stay over night at the hospital, just in case… and then when he leaves, he’s going to go stay at Chris and PJ’s beach house for a while, until we can figure out what the hell we’re going to do next,” Phil said. He sighed. “So, yeah…”

“Isn’t Chris and PJ’s beach house a little far from here?” Eric asked.

Phil shook his head. “Only about an hour,” He said.

“I’ll be fine. I know there’s a lot going on but I can take care of myself,” Dan mumbled.

“We know that, Dan. But we have to make sure everything will be okay… we know that you can take care of yourself,” Phil reassured him, not wanting to get Dan upset.

“Clearly not… since he’s the one who killed himself in the first place,” Eric mumbled.

Phil gasped with shock as he looked over at Eric. “That wasn’t necessary,” He hissed.

“What?"Eric asked as he looked over at Phil. "Oh. D-Did I say that out loud?”

“Why don’t you just go home? I’ll be home later,” Phil whispered.

“Phil. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” Eric sighed and then he stormed out of the hospital room.

Phil nervously looked over at Dan and frowned when he saw the look on Dan’s face. “Hey, don’t listen to him. He gets jealous easily and he says stupid things,” Phil whispered.

“I-I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to-” Dan cried as tears poured out of his eyes.

“Dan, stop. You don’t have to explain yourself,” Phil said. He walked over to Dan and pulled him into a hug. “You were going through a lot back then. It’s okay, shh.” He whispered.

“Wh-Why are you helping m-me?” Dan asked when Phil pulled away from the hug.

“What are you talking about?” Phil asked, immediately looked down at Dan.

“I don’t want to come between you and your family,” Dan said.

“You’re my best friend, Dan… nothing has changed that. I will do anything to help you, no matter what anyways says about you,” Phil told him. He took a deep breath.

xxxxxx

“Oh my God. Did he really say that in front of Dan?”

It was later that evening, when Phil was talking with Chris and PJ at their house. He hadn’t gone home yet, but he wanted to talk to Chris and PJ about what happened earlier.

They were all sitting at the kitchen table together, just talking.

“Yes. Right in front of him, and Dan heard what he said,” Phil whispered.

“Wh-What did Dan do after he said it?” Chris asked nervously.

“Started crying. He’s been back a few days… but I haven’t seen him cry like that in years, not even when he was alive back then. It broke my heart to see him like that,” Phil said.

“Phil, you really need to talk to Eric about this,” PJ said.

“What am I supposed to say?” Phil asked, looking up at PJ.

“Just talk to him. You don’t want to get Eric upset about this… because he might tell someone that Dan is alive to get revenge or something. We all know how Eric really feels about Dan, and it isn’t pretty thoughts. He’s jealous of you guys, knowing what your past is like,” PJ said.

“Anyone would be jealous… you guys have a friendship like no other,” Chris added.

Phil couldn’t help but smile. “We went through a lot together,” He said. “And we would do anything for each other. Even though Dan left me like that… I still love him.”

“You aren’t going to leave Eric, are you?” PJ asked.

Phil shook his head. “I-I don’t know. I don’t want to have to leave Eric, but Dan means so much to me and I can’t lose him again, not after what happened last time-” He took a deep breath as his eyes began to water up. “Dan needs me… now more than ever.” He whispered.

“Hey, Phil. Relax, okay? Everything’s going to be fine, I promise,” PJ said.

“How do you know that?” Phil asked. “How could you possibly know that?”

“You’re just going to have trust me, okay?” PJ told him.

Phil slowly nodded. “Don’t let me make the wrong decision.”

“We’ll help you in any way that we can,” Chris promised.

“Okay… as long as we stick together, we’ll figure what the hell is going on,” Phil said.


	7. Chapter 7

“Okay, here we are!” Phil exclaimed as he led Dan up to Chris and PJ’s beach house.

It was two laters; Phil was finally taking Dan to the beach house. Dan was honestly just tired and he wanted to lie down and sleep, not wanting to worry about anything else. He’d only been back for a few days, but it’s all been stressful and he was just so tired of everything.

Dan looked up at the house and sighed. “It’s pretty big…”

“Yeah, Chris and PJ went all out when they decided that they wanted to buy another house with their money,” Phil said. He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s comfy though, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. And it is big, so you won’t feel like you’re all cooped up.”

“Will you stay?” Dan asked, looking over at Phil.

“What?” Phil asked, blinking a few times as he stared at Dan.

“Will you stay here… I mean, with me?” Dan asked hopefully.

“Dan, I can’t… no matter how much I want to. I have a family to take care of,” Phil whispered.

“Oh right. You have a daughter,” Dan mumbled. He sighed.

“A daughter and a husband whom I love very much,” Phil whispered.

“I get it, okay? You’ve got a husband and a daughter and a real lovely family. Fantastic!” Dan snapped. He scoffed and then he went up to the door. He went to open it, but it was locked. “Will you please open the door?” He looked over at Phil.

Phil stared at Dan for a few seconds before he sighed. He walked up to the door and then he finally unlocked it. He glanced over at Dan once before he walked off of the porch.

“Where are you going?” Dan asked as he watched Phil.

“I think it’s better if I just go home,” Phil whispered. “I’ll come back with your things later.”

“Phil-” Dan began to say. He took a deep breath. “I-I just miss you.”

“You shouldn’t have left me then,” Phil whispered. He turned around and then he got into his car without saying another word to Dan. Dan watched in shock as he watched Phil drive away.

Dan took a deep breath before he walked into the house. He bit his lip nervously as he looked around, and then he walked into what he assumed was the lounge. He sighed as he plopped down onto the couch. He had no idea what he was going to do now. He felt like he had lost everything and everyone that he loved, and right now… he was wishing that he’d never even come back. He just wished things were how they used to be with him and Phil.

“Fuck!” Dan cried as tears began to pour out of his eyes. He curled up down onto the couch, closing his eyes tight as tears continued to pour out of his eyes.

xxxxxx

“Dan?” Phil called as he walked into the beach house. It was a couple hours later when Phil had returned to the beach house, although he really didn’t want to… especially after how things went with him and Dan earlier. But, he knew that he had to. Dan still needed his help, and he was going to help Dan in any way that he could… if Dan would let him.

Phil had gone out and bought Dan a few things that he would need while being on his own, which made Phil a little nervous because Dan wasn’t exactly the best when it came to being on his own, he had always been dependent on Phil when they were together.

“Dan!” Phil yelled as he walked through the house, he walked into the lounge. He looked over at the couch and frowned when he saw Dan curled up on the couch, with tear stains on his cheek which meant that he had been crying, and that broke Phil’s heart. “Dan,” Phil dropped the bag that he was holding and walked over to Dan. He bent down and then he shook Dan gently a few times. “Hey, wake up…” He said, biting his lip nervously.

Dan blinked a few times and then his eyes fluttered open. “What’s going on?” He asked, immediately sitting up. He looked around and then he looked over at Phil again. “Phil?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Phil said as he stood up and then sat on the couch. “Are you okay?”

“Define okay,” Dan mumbled as he looked down at his hands.

“Did you cry yourself to sleep?” Phil asked nervously.

Dan shrugged his shoulders. “Does it matter if I did?” He asked.

“I still care about you Dan,” Phil whispered. “I don’t want to see you hurt or upset…”

“Well I am hurt and upset!” Dan cried, taking a deep breath. “When I came back here… I expected to find you at home, and we would be together again and things would go back to how they were. But no! I come back to find my boyfriend is married to another man and he’s got a daughter, and he’s probably more happier than when he was with me-” Dan hid his face in his hands as tears poured out of his eyes. “I hate being here… I hate everything,”

Phil quickly shook his head, and then he scooted closer to Dan and grabbed his hands. “Don’t say those things, please just… never say them again. I only moved on because I hated to be alone. I didn’t like the thought of living without you, but I couldn’t exactly stay cooped up in that house by myself, could I? Things were tough back then, when we were together, but I was happy because I had you in my life to make things easier. Sure, I love Eric and I adore my daughter but, they will never beat what we had together, okay?” Phil whispered.

Dan looked up at Phil with tears in his eyes. “You’re just saying that t-to make me feel better,” He wiped away his tears but they only just kept coming out.

“No… I’m saying it because it’s true. Do you understand me?” Phil said.

“It doesn’t matter. We can never be together again… I’m just going to have to figure out how to move on and be by mself, which is something I’ve never had to do before. I’ll find a job… even if I won’t like it. People are eventually going to figure out that I’m alive again,” Dan said.

Phil sighed. “I guess you’re right. It’s not fair to keep you locked up…”

Dan groaned and then he lay down on his back. “Why did I come back?” He asked.

“Maybe this is God’s way of giving you another chance,” Phil said.

Dan raised his eyebrows as he looked over at Phil. “Since when did you talk about God?”

“Eric made me and Emily go to church sometimes,” Phil shrugged his shoulders.

“Of course he did-” Dan rolled his eyes. “Eric hates me.”

“No he- okay, he actually does,” Phil said. “I can’t hide that.”

It went silent for a few seconds, and then Phil looked down at Dan and bit his lip. He crawled over to Dan and then he put his hands on both side of Dan’s head.

“Phil, what are you-” Dan was cut off by Phil kissing him. “Phil, stop.”

Phil pulled away from Dan and blinked a few times as stared at Dan. “Why stop?”

“You have a husband, it’s not…” Dan whispered. “You belong to Eric now.”

“I don’t belong to anyone. I’m my own person, and this is my decision. Do you know that it’s been 10 years since I’ve kissed you? Dan, I’ve missed you so much,” Phil whispered.

“You’re willing to ruin your whole marriage just to be able to kiss me?” Dan asked, a little surprised. He didn’t think Phil would ever do something like this, clearly he was wrong.

“Fine, I won’t kiss you then-” Phil mumbled. He went to sit up but gasped lightly when Dan grabbed him and pulled him down on top of him. “Change your mind?” He asked.

Dan smiled and then he pulled Phil down and kissed him, wrapping his arms around him as he did so. “Phil-” He moaned into the kiss. They pulled away a few seconds later, after what felt like forever of kissing each other. “Can you stay?” Dan asked, taking a deep breath.

“For a little bit,” Phil said, giving Dan a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Phil ended up staying at the beach house with Dan all night. He felt guilty because he almost completely forgot about Eric and Emily, the two most important people in his life. He just couldn’t help himself. He wanted, and he needed, to be with Dan after what happened between them earlier… he just wasn’t ready to leave him. In fact, he wanted to stay. But Dan told him that he should go and be with his family, so Phil did what Dan told him to do.

“Where the hell have you been all night?” Eric asked angrily, as soon as Phil walked into the house. Eric was angry, and Phil knew that he was.

“Christ Eric, I just walked through the door. Can you please give me a second to breathe?” Phil asked as he shut the front door. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was past midnight, which made him feel even more guilty. He didn’t realize he had been gone all day.

“You’ve been gone all fucking day, Phil. I have a right to be angry with you… you know I had to stay home from work to make sure that Emily got home from school. That’s your job!” Eric hissed, grabbing Phil’s hand harshly and dragging him to the living room.

“She’s your daughter too, you know?! Why do I always have to take care of her?” Phil asked.

“Because I have to go to work everyday! We wouldn’t have all the money we have, or live in this house next to our friends… if I didn’t go to work. I love her just as much as you do and you know it Phil,” Eric crossed his arms against his chest as he glared at Phil. He and Phil never argued like this, not once since they have been together. He hated arguing with Phil, but he couldn’t help but feel so angry at him.

“That’s not what I’m implying at all. Don’t twist my words,” Phil snapped.

“You weren’t implying it… but you sure as hell was thinking it,” Eric snapped back. “I want to know where you’ve been all day. Don’t you dare lie to me either.”

“You know what… I was with Dan, I was with him all day,” Phil told him.

“I’ve had enough!” Eric nearly screamed, making Phil jump. “I’m sick and tired of you always talking about Dan! It’s always about him. Ever since that fucking kid came back… he’s all you’ve cared about. What about your husband? What about your daughter?”

“Dan needs me right now! Now more than ever!” Phil yelled.

“We need you too!” Eric yelled, taking deep breaths.

“You know how much I care about Dan,” Phil whispered.

“That doesn’t mean you have to stop caring about us,” Eric said calmly.

Phil looked away from Eric as soon as his eyes began to water up.

“You promised that I wouldn’t have to worry about Dan coming back,”

“Because I thought you wouldn’t,” Phil said. He nervously looked up at Eric.

“I can’t keep doing this. I don’t want to have to worry about my husband cheating on me with another man… who fucking showed up from the dead!” Eric exclaimed, throwing his arms up. He scoffed and shook his head. “We shouldn’t even be having this argument… yet here we are.”

“Are you leaving me?” Phil asked, taking a deep breath.

“I need time to think,” Eric whispered. He pushed past Phil and walked out of the living room.

Phil sat down on the couch and hid his face in his hands as tears poured out of his eyes.

xxxxxx

Dan hasn’t seen Phil in over a week, and he was starting to worry that something happened between Phil and Eric that made Phil want to stay away from Dan. The last thing Dan wanted to do was ruin Phil’s marriage, but he just wanted Phil back in his life. He missed Phil.

Dan sighed as he sat on his bed in his upstairs bedroom, staring at his laptop. He was able to browse on the internet without anyone noticing who he really was. Though it seemed no matter what he did on the internet… he couldn’t get away from seeing his death. People were still talking about him 10 years later. He couldn’t decide if it made him happy or not that people still cared about him like they did when he was alive before. It was all confusing.

Dan was currently on tumblr, when he had decided to search the danisnotonfire tag after seeing another post about his death. Everything was fine… until he saw about five pictures of him walking around outside the house. He took one walk since he had been here, because he had been sick of sitting in this house doing nothing. Dan now regretted taking that walk. That post had over 2,000 posts and it was floating around everywhere on tumblr and twitter.

Dan pushed his laptop away and immediately pulled out the phone that Phil had bought him, and he called Phil. Dan tried calling Phil a million times before he finally gave up, realizing that Phil didn’t want to talk to him. It hurt that Phil was ignoring him. “Fuck!” Dan yelled as he threw the phone across the room.

A half an hour later, Chris and PJ were just getting to the beach house. It was a Monday, which meant that Tristan was at school for a couple more hours, which also gave them plenty of time to visit Dan. It had been a while since they’ve talked to him, so they wanted to check up on him.

“Dan?” Chris called as he and PJ walked into the house.

“No answer. That can’t be good,” PJ whispered. He grabbed Chris’s hand and they ran up the stairs. PJ led the way to the bedroom that Dan was staying in. He walked in and was shocked when he saw that the room was completely trashed. “What the hell?” He asked. He looked up and frowned when he saw a lump on the bed. “Dan?” PJ asked as he walked into the bedroom.

“What the hell happened in here?” Chris asked when he also walked into the room.

PJ bit his lip as he walked over to the bed. “A-Are you okay, Dan?” He asked.

“No,” A faint voice said. “I’m not o-fucking-kay.” Dan sniffed a few times.

“Well, are you going to tell us what happened?” Chris asked.

“Chris!” PJ hissed. He sighed and then he climbed onto the bed. He raised his eyebrows when he saw that Dan had his laptop in front of him. He reached over and grabbed it, and his eyes went wide as soon as he saw what Dan was staring at. “Are these new pictures?” PJ asked.

Chris also walked over to the bed, blinking a few times as he looked up at PJ.

“I-I ju-just wanted t-to get out of the h-house. I’m t-tired of being h-here alone,” Dan sobbed.

“Phil hasn’t been to see you?” PJ asked, frowning as he looked down at Dan.

Dan shook his head. “No, he hasn’t. Only o-once but that’s i-it. He won’t answer my c-calls anymore so I can’t get a h-hold of him,” He quickly wiped away the tears that slipped out of his eyes. “He’s ignoring me and I don’t know why. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Chris also climbed onto the bed. “That doesn’t sound like something Phil would do,” He said.

“What’s going on with him?” PJ asked. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called him.

“Hello?” Phil asked when he answered his phone. “What’s up, Peej?” He asked.

“Why haven’t you been answering Dan’s calls?” PJ asked immediately.

Phil groaned. “I don’t want to talk about him right now,” He snapped.

“You haven’t stopped talking about him since he came back. What’s really going on?” PJ asked.

“I almost ruined my marriage because of him, Peej. I’m not losing my husband and daughter because of my ex-boyfriend. Unless you’ve got something important to tell me, then I’m going to hang up,” Phil warned. “I’ve got more important things to worry about.”

“Okay, fine then. I guess you don’t care that there are pictures of Dan floating around the internet. New pictures… not old ones,” PJ snapped, angry at how his best friend was acting. Phil was the one who wanted to help Dan get his life back together, so PJ didn’t know why he was acting the way he was.

“How are there new pictures floating around? Dan’s been at that house,” Phil said.

“He went out once. Why aren’t you here comforting him?” PJ asked.

“Because I have a fucking family to take care of PJ!” Phil yelled.

“Uh… Phil, aren’t you the one who promised Dan you would help him no matter what. What happened to that?” PJ asked. “Phil?” He frowned when he heard a click, which meant that Phil hung up on him. “Okay, what happened with you two?” He looked over at Phil. “Don’t lie to me. Clearly something happened.”

“Phil kissed me,” Dan whispered, letting a few tears fall out of his eyes.

“He and Eric must have gotten into another argument,” Chris said.

“Dan, you can’t get back with Phil… no matter how much it hurts you,” PJ said calmly.

“He kissed me,” Dan hissed as he sat up. “I didn’t ask for him to kiss me!”

“Phil wouldn’t kiss someone while he’s married and has a kid!” PJ yelled back at him.

“He did, I can’t take this anymore!” Dan flung his legs over the bed and then he stormed out of the bedroom without saying another word to Chris and PJ.

“Dan! Shit. We have to stop him,” PJ said. He and Chris immediately began to follow Dan.

Dan was about to walk out of the house. He opened the door but he gasped when he saw that there were a group of paparazzi outside of the house, cameras flashing everywhere. Dan stood there frozen as he stared ahead at the madness that was in front of him.

“Dan, shut the door!” PJ yelled with shock as he and Chris ran down the stairs. Chris and PJ ran over to the door, and it took them a few seconds before they finally were able to shut the door, after the paparazzi had tried their best to get into the house. Chris and PJ didn’t tell anyone but Phil’s family that they had bought a beach house… so they were both shocked that the paparazzi had worked out where they were staying at.

Dan’s eyes went wide with shock as he backed away, he watched as Chris and PJ ran around the house, shutting all the blinds that were on the window.

“What the fuck was that all about?” Chris asked, looking over at PJ.

“Those pictures someone took when he was out earlier. They must have worked out the location,” PJ whispered. He looked over at Dan and bit his lip when he didn’t see him. “Dan?” He asked nervously. He walked around the couch and frowned when he saw Dan curled up on the floor, with tears pouring out of his eyes. “What’s wrong?” He asked calmly, bending down so he could see Dan better.

“I just want things to go back to how they used to be,” Dan whispered. “Being with Phil. Making youtube videos because I wanted to…”

“I’m sorry that you have to go through this,” PJ said calmly.

“Maybe you’re looking at this all wrong, Dan-” Chris said as he walked over to Dan and PJ. “We still don’t really know why you came back… but maybe this is your second chance to make your life how you want it to be, not how everybody else wants it to be.”

“How do I do that when I have people following me everywhere?” Dan asked quietly.

“I’m not sure. But, whatever happens… you’ll have me and Peej to be there,” Chris told him.

“Yeah. We’ll always be there for you, no matter what happens,” PJ agreed.

Dan smiled slightly. “Thanks. I appreciate that,” He whispered. Even though Dan was very thankful that his friends were still there for him after all these years… all he really wanted was for Phil to be there with him, but he knew that he couldn’t have Phil back… just like PJ said.


	9. Chapter 9

“You guys don’t have to stay here, you know?” Dan said as he looked up at Chris and PJ.

It was a couple hours later, and although things were still mental right now… they’d calm down and Dan wasn’t freaking out anymore. He was still upset, but he was calm.

Chris and PJ hadn’t left Dan’s side all day.

“It’s fine. We want to stay here with you,” Chris told him as he handed Dan some hot chocolate.

“Don’t you have a son?” Dan asked as he took the hot chocolate.

“He’s staying at Phil’s until we can go home,” PJ said.

“Tristan loves staying at Phil’s, mostly because he has a crush on Emily,” Chris chuckled.

“I’m sorry,” Dan mumbled as he sat his hot chocolate down.

“What are you saying sorry for?” PJ asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked over at Dan.

“For missing your wedding, and for not being there,” Dan said.

“Dan, you don’t have to apologize for that,” Chris assured him.

“I shouldn’t have been so selfish. I should have talked to someone about how I felt,” Dan mumbled, shaking his head. “I thought if I killed myself… the pain would go away.”

“And how’d that work out for you?” Chris asked, chuckling.

“H-Have you talked to Phil?” Dan asked nervously, looking at Chris and PJ back and forth.

“I haven’t tried calling him but I should. He’ll answer me because Tristan is staying with him,”

“You go call him,” Chris said as he looked up at PJ.

PJ nodded, he kissed Chris’s cheek before he walked out of the lounge.

“You guys really don’t have to stay here with me. I know that you’re worried about me and everything but… I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself, really!” Dan said.

“We know you can take care of yourself but we’re also worried about the paparazzi finding you again. You won’t be able to fight them off all on your own,” Chris told him.

“So, what are you going to do? Stay here and leave your son at home,” Dan said.

“No. We’ll stay here a couple of days… take turns so you won’t have to be here by yourself. We know that you can take care of yourself, we’re just still worried and we care about you…”

“Well, thanks. I do appreciate-” Dan began to say, but he stopped when there were knocks at the door. “I hope that’s not the paparazzi again…” He sighed as he looked up at Chris.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” Chris said. He stood up and then he walked over to the door. He opened it, looked up and was surprised when he saw Phil standing in front of him.

“I need to speak with Dan,” Phil said. “Immediately.”

“Where’ve you been? We’ve been trying to call you all day…”

“Look, just let me speak to Dan. Where is he?” Phil asked.

Chris sighed and then he stepped aside and then he let Phil shut the door and locked it once Phil was inside. Phil immediately went to where Dan was.

Dan looked over and gasped as soon as he saw Phil, standing up from his spot afterwards.

“Dan, can we please talk?” Phil asked, stepping forward.

“No-” Dan took a step backwards. “You said I wasn’t important.”

‘You are important-“ Phil began to say. He looked over and sighed when he saw PJ.

"What are you doing here?” PJ asked as soon as he saw Phil.

“Come with me,” Phil grabbed Dan’s arm and pulled him up the stairs.

“Stop, you’re hurting me!” Dan yelled as Phil pulled him into the bedroom.

Dan rubbed his wrist as he watched Phil shut the door. “What do you want?”

“To apologize… for the way I acted earlier,” Phil mumbled.

“You promised you’d be there for me,” Dan whispered.

“I’m sorry. I just… I don’t know what to do. I still love you so much, and I’ve never stopped loving you. But I have Eric and Emily now. I don’t want to lose them but I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I know that you don’t want to hear this but, you need to make a decision on who you want to be with. I’ve got my second chance at life and I don’t want to waste it waiting for you. I love you Phil, you know that I do but… we can’t keep doing this to each other,” Dan whispered as his eyes began to water up. He took a deep breath as he stared at Phil.

The two boys stared at each other for what seemed like forever before Phil walked over to Dan and kissed him with all the passion that he had in him. They kissed for quite a few seconds before Phil finally pulled away. He took a deep breath as he stared at Dan.

“Phil,” Dan whispered. “Your family…” He began to say.

“I’ll figure something out,” Phil quickly said. “We all knew it was going to end like this.”

“Why did it take you so long then?” Dan asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I was just worried about what Eric was going to do. I loved him but I loved you more, and our daughter… I didn’t want him to take Emily away from me,” Phil said.

“Can’t you get an agreement or something?” Dan asked, looking up at Phil.

“I’m going to try and talk to him… believe me. Until then, you are the only thing that matters to me right now,” Phil whispered. He smiled as he stared at Dan.

Dan immediately flung his arms around Phil and hugged him, closing his eyes as he did so.

Phil also closed his eyes as he hugged Dan back. “I love you,”

“I love you,” Dan whispered as he hid his face in Phil’s chest.

“Look who it is,” PJ said when he saw Dan and Phil walking down the stairs holding hands.

Phil rolled his eyes when he heard PJ. “Shush,” He said.

“You were up there for hours. Do I even want to know what you two did?” Chris asked.

“I’m pretty sure you can figure it out,” Dan said. He laughed and then he looked up at Phil.

“So, you two are together then? What are you going to do about Eric and Emily?” PJ asked.

“I’m going to figure that out,” Phil said. “All that matters right now is Dan.”

“Wow. Something sure changed your mind since the last time we spoke,” PJ said.

Phil rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry for how I acted earlier but… I was just confused and I had gotten into another argument with Eric. I thought for a couple hours and then I decided to come down here. There’s a lot we need to figure out about what to do about Dan,” He said.

“Yeah, like what the fuck are we going to do about all that paparazzi?” Dan asked.

“Yeah… like that,” Phil said. “Let’s worry about everything else later. Oh, you guys can leave if you want. I know you’ve been here all day. You must be missing Tristan.”

“Actually, we are a little. We’ll come back tomorrow yeah?” Chris said.

Phil nodded. “I’ll stay with Dan until then,” He said.

PJ smiled. “I never said this before but… it’s nice to see you two together again,” He said.

Phil looked down at Dan and smiled, and then he wrapped his arm around him.

“Thanks you guys… for everything that you did today,” Dan said.

“Don’t mention it. See you sometime tomorrow,” PJ said. He grabbed Chris’s hand and then he led the way out of the house, finally leaving Dan and Phil alone.

“Something tells me Chris and PJ wanted to leave,” Dan said.

Phil laughed and shook his head. “You’re a bit annoying, aren’t you?” He asked.

“Phil!” Dan whined as he pushed him playfully. “I hate you.”

“I love you too.”


	10. Chapter 10

“I’m officially no longer a married man,” Phil announced as he walked into the beach house.

Dan had been sitting at the island bar and was eating some chips whilst on his laptop, but he looked up as soon as Phil walked in. “Are you being serious?” He asked, jaw dropped.

“One hundred percent serious. I told you I was going to go through with it,” Phil said as he walked over to Dan. “You don’t look very happy?” He asked, frowning slightly.

“I am happy, believe me… it’s just… what are you going to do about Emily?” Dan asked.

“We’ve already made plans. She’s going to stay with Eric week days and I’ll see her on the weekends. So, I can have my focus on you fully and we’ll be able to be together. Eric finally realized how much you really, truly mean to me so he’s not upset with me. We’re still going to be friends with each other. I still love him, but… I love you more, you’re more important.” Phil explained, taking a deep breath. “So, what do you think?” He asked, smiling slightly.

“Even though I know Eric didn’t like me… at all… for obvious reasons. I’m glad that you two are going to be friends still and that you Eric’s letting you see Emily,” Dan smiled.

Phil reached over and kissed Dan’s cheek. “Now… what’s this I hear about you wanting to film a video? Are you absolutely out of your mind?” He asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

“How did you?… PJ!” Dan groaned and shook his head.

“PJ has a big mouth, you should know not to true him with secrets,” Phil chuckled.

“Well, the tables must have turned. It used to be Chris with a big mouth,” Dan mumbled.

Phil walked over to the stool next to Dan’s and sat down on it.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea? To film a video I mean?” Dan asked.

“It’s not a bad idea. I’m just… worried. You’ve only been back for a little while. Are you really sure that you’re ready to be thrown back into the spotlight? You couldn’t handle it last time,” Phil said.

“That was last time though Phil,” Dan sighed. “I'm… I don’t know really. I just… I have had a lot of time to think about it. My God, I looked at my youtube channel and it hasn’t been updated in ten bloody years. It pains me to sit it just sitting like that. I’m still young, I can…”

“Yeah, don’t rub it in,” Phil pouted. “I’ll support you no matter what but… please think about this before you do it. Okay? I want you to be happy with what you do while you’re back again.”

“I know, and I have thought about it. Trust me, Phil. Okay?” Dan whispered.

Phil sighed and nodded. “Alright, alright. I trust you,” he said.

Dan reached over and kissed Phil gently a few times. “I want to do this,”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt again. I can’t lose you a second time,” Phil sighed.

“And you won’t lose me. I was stupid last time. I didn’t appreciate what I had, and now I know how grateful I am to have you in my life. I’m not going to waste that again,” Dan smiled.

“Okay. If you really want to do this… then I’ll support you fully,” Phil promised.

“Thank you!” Dan threw his arms around Phil and hugged him tightly.

Phil laughed and immediately hugged Dan back, sighing happily. “I’m glad you’re happy,”

“I am. I haven’t been this happy in a long, long time…”

“Good, that makes me happy to hear that. You deserve to be happy after everything you’ve been through,” Phil gently kissed the top of Dan’s head, and continued to hold onto him.

****

“Are you out of your mind? Do you really think it’s a good idea for Dan to post a video?”

It was later that night when Phil was sitting on the couch in the lounge talking with PJ, while Dan was upstairs and was filming a video. Dan wanted to start filming as soon as possible.

“Peej, it’s too late. He’s already started filming. We already talked about it and this is something that he really wants to do. I agree with him anyways. He can’t hide away forever… people need to know the truth about what happened to him. Dan will be fine,” Phil explained.

“But… making videos and being famous is what led him to suicide,” PJ said.

“I know but… he understands what he did was wrong and he knows not to make that mistake twice, and he knows that I’m going to be there for him. He knows that he can come to me if he ever feels pressured or if he gets depressed again. I’m here for him,” Phil sighed.

“Just… watch him carefully. Things are different today,” PJ said.

“Believe me, I know. But, I think this will be good for him, you know?” Phil smiled.

“I just hope that Dan is doing the right thing,” PJ mumbled.

“If things go wrong, then we’ll just be there for him. We’ll help him through it,” Phil said.

“How are you doing? With the divorce and everything?” PJ asked.

“I'm… a little heart broken. I miss my daughter but… I’ll still be able to see her on the weekends so I’m not that upset. I loved Eric but, Dan makes me happier and that’s all that matters,”

“As long as you’re happy, and Dan’s happy… we’re happy,” PJ chuckled.

“Hopefully things will start to calm down now once Dan posts this video,” Phil said.

“Yeah. Well, I’ve got to go. My son is being naughty tonight,” PJ rolled his eyes.

Phil chuckled. “Oh no. Tell him Uncle Phil says hi,” he said with a smile.

“Will do. See you in a few days!” PJ hung up on him.

“Was that PJ?” Phil jumped as soon as he heard Dan’s voice. “Sorry…”

“That’s alright, love. I just didn’t hear you,” Phil said. He looked over at Dan and smiled. “Yeah, it was PJ. He just wanted to call and make sure everything was going okay down here.”

“Phil…” Dan walked over to him and sat down next to him. “Are you really happy? I mean, like… are you happy that you’re with me? You and Eric just seemed… so in love,”

“We were in love but…” Phil sighed and shook his head. “I was also way more in love with you and he knows that. We’re just friends, and I’m honestly happy that we’re still friends. He wants me to be happy and I wasn’t going to be happy unless I was able to be with you,” Phil told him. He then gently wrapped his arms around Dan and pulled him closer to him. “How was filming?”

“It was alright… I just wanted to take a little break. I’m not used to filming yet,” Dan mumbled as he snuggled up close to Phil and rested his head on Phil’s chest.

“You’ll get used to it again after filming a bit more,” Phil reassured him.

Dan looked up at Phil and smiled. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“What are you thanking me for?” Phil asked, raising his eyebrows.

“For letting me do this,” Dan sighed. “I know this isn’t going to be easy.”

“I’m going to be with you through this from now and until the end,” Phil whispered.

“I love you so much,” Dan whispered before he closed his eyes.

“I love you too,” Phil said as he held onto Dan.


	11. Chapter 11

“Dan, are you sure you want to do this?” Phil asked as he and Dan walked out to the car.

“Phil, we already talked about this. The video is already uploaded and people know the situation… and I can’t keep living in that bloody beach house. I need to get out,” Dan said. He looked over at Phil and sighed. “I thought you were going to support me no matter what?”

“Hey, I am going to support you. I just want to make sure you really want this,” Phil told him.

Dan took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s been a few months now… I think it’s time,” he mumbled. He opened the door and then he got into the car.

Today was the first day that Dan was going out in public with Phil. They were both extremely nervous about the situation, but Dan knew that this was the right thing to do.

“If you start getting anxious, just grab me and we’ll leave… alright? I know you want to do this but your health comes first,” Phil whispered as they sat in the parking lot at the shopping center. Phil lived in quite a small town, but their shopping center was huge and always busy on the weekends, so this was the perfect place to do this.

Dan slowly nodded. He took a deep breath and then he opened the car door.

Phil sighed before he finally stepped into the car. Ever since Dan has come back, he’s been even more protective of him because he didn’t want to lose him again, and he didn’t want the fame to hurt Dan like it did before. That’s why he was so worried about Dan going out in public.

Dan and Phil finally arrived at the mall. It was a Saturday so of course it was going to be more busier than any other day of the week, which made Phil very nervous about doing this.

“Are you ready then?” Phil asked as they both stepped out of the car.

“Am I Ready? No. But I need to do this. It’s now or never,” Dan whispered.

Phil hugged Dan gently and then he kissed him once. “Let’s go then,” he said.

“I’m not even sure if I want to buy anything,” Dan laughed as he and Phil walked in.

“How about we stop at Subway and grab some lunch?” Phil suggested.

“Okay. I could go for some a sub right now,” Dan smiled. They walked in and made their way to the little subway shop without being noticed, which surprised Dan because a lot of people in this town knew who Phil was, and knew that they were together again.

“What could I get for y-” The women in front of them stopped as soon as she realized who it was. “Dan? Is that you?” She asked, her mouth dropping into an ‘o’ shape.

Dan looked up and was actually surprised when he saw that it was his best friend from school, besides Phil… Emma was always there for him but they lost touch over time when Dan and Phil started getting more famous because of youtube. Emma. “Emma?” He asked. “Wow, I…” He glanced behind him and frowned slightly when he saw that a crowd was already forming behind them. “This isn’t awkward at all…” Dan mumbled as he stepped closer to Phil.

“Well… are you going to say something to them?” Phil asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Huh?” Dan asked, frowning as he looked up at Phil.

“You wanted to come here so people would know that you were back,” Phil told him.

Dan sighed and then he finally stepped away from Phil. “Well, I guess you all know now…”

“How does somebody just turn up from the dead?” Somebody asked.

“Look, I don’t know how it happened. One day I just showed up and that was it,” Dan said.

“Is it true you committed suicide? Phil never told us the reason why you died,”

“Dan, you don’t have to answer that. It’s personal,” Phil quickly said.

Dan shook his head. “They deserve to know the truth. Yes, it is true… I did commit suicide and I really wish that I hadn’t. But what’s done is done. The fame had gotten too much for me and I couldn’t handle it anymore and I just… I don’t know. No, I won’t tell you how I committed suicide.”

“That’s enough questions, now. Dan just wanted to come here and let everyone know that he is back… and he’s staying. We’re back together but that doesn’t mean we’ll start making videos again. We don’t know what we’re going to do yet. We’re asking kindly that you do not start any rumors because I know this town is notorious for starting rumors,” Phil sighed.

“We’re happy to have you back down,” somebody else said.

Dan smiled. “Thanks. It’s good to be back, it really is,” he sighed happily.

Phil smiled as he watched Dan catch up with some of his old friends. It was nice to see him happy again, considering everything they’ve been through the past few months.


End file.
